Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Eastmincom offers military checkpoints as quarantine areas

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 24, 2019): Eastmincom offers military checkpoints as quarantine areas



CHECKPOINTS AS QUARANTINE SITES. A quarantine checkpoint in Lasang, Davao City. The Eastern Mindanao Command has offered its existing security checkpoints to be expanded into quarantine sites. (PNA File photo by Che Palicte)

DAVAO CITY -- As a prevention measure against the possible entry of African swine fever (ASF) virus in the island, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) has offered its existing security checkpoints to be expanded into quarantine sites.

The offer came after Ricardo OƱate Jr., regional director of the Department of Agriculture in Region 11 (DA-11), and other stakeholders visited the Eastmincom headquarters inside the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan here on Monday

Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., Eastmincom commander, said the visit aims to seek the assistance of the military in preventing the possible entry of infectious diseases into the region.

"Our fixed security checkpoints can be used as a point of convergence in carrying out the best interest of the government and of the communities," Santos said.

Currently, the checkpoints of Task Force Davao (TFD) have already been expanded into quarantine areas manned by the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office (CVAO).

The CVAO personnel are assisted by 65 TFD members who are trained in animal and meat quarantine functions.

Santos also proposed that other government bodies such as the local Peace and Order Councils (POCs) be included in the crafting of local and regional plans concerning biosecurity protocols.

"Taking off from the initiative of the city government and TFD checkpoints as a template, we are asking the concerned agencies to level the issue to the different POCs to consolidate and synchronized effort in this biological battle," the Eastmincom chief added.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1081311

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